This invention relates to a metering device for insertion into the mouth of a liquid container, more particularly a bottle, comprising an elongated cylinder having a cylindrical outlet opening extending beyond the mouth of said liquid container and one or more openings at the other end communicating with the interior of said liquid container, a metering chamber in said elongated cylinder, toward said outlet opening, a ball valve chamber in said elongated cylinder and a ball valve between the interior of the container and a metering chamber consisting of a valve ball resting in a cage in the upright position of the container and of a valve ball guide tube for guiding the valve ball into its sealing position when the container is tilted, the cage and/or the guide tube comprising at least one opening to the interior of the container. The invention also relates to a method of operating the metering device.
Metering devices which release a certain quantity of liquid whenever the container is tilted are known, for example, from German Pat. No. 1,202,672. Metering devices of this type are so-called antechamber dispensers of which the volume must comprise at least twice the quantity to be metered. Although another known metering device (see German Utility Model No. 78 10 073) is less voluminous, the metered quantity decreases steadily as the contents of the container diminish.
In addition, published German application DE-OS No. 30 26 067 and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 348,065, filed Feb. 8, 1982 now U.S. Pat. No. 4,438,869, describe a metering device in which metering can take place under pressure or by the application of pressure to the container so that a "squirt" corresponding to a certain quantity of product is dispensed. This device comprises a valve ball guide tube with at least one lateral opening leading to the interior of the container. At its longitudinal end facing the pour-out opening and the valve ball in its sealing position, the valve ball guide tube is adjoined, starting from the tube wall, by a bottom part of a ball cage which widens like a funnel to a length substantially corresponding to half the ball diameter. When this metering device is tilted into an inclined position, liquid issues from the container.